Christmas Spirit Lost & Found
by Peachy-Author
Summary: Due to a failing friendship, Dixie Kong has lost her Christmas spirit. It's up to her boyfriend, Diddy Kong, to help her feel better and recover her spirit! DiddyXDixie chapter story! COMPLETE!
1. Dixie's Problem

(A/N: Another "Donkey Kong" fanfic, once again featuring an OC, only this time, it's Suzanne Kong. Suzanne is the only character I own in this fic, and you can find her bio on my profile. Here goes...)

It was a quiet December afternoon on Kongo Bongo Island. Christmas was right around the corner, and everyone except for the Kremlings looked forward to a visit from Santa Claus. But at present, I was thinking of checking up on Diddy Kong! Let's go see what he's up to.

We find Diddy making his merry way to the treehouse where his girlfriend, Dixie Kong, lives. Before he could knock on the door, he could hear something going on in the treehouse, and it didn't sound good. Dixie and someone else were yelling at each other, and they were getting louder and louder.

"What the heck?! What did you do _that_ for?!" an angry female voice shouted. Diddy recognized the voice, and it wasn't Dixie's. The voice belonged to Dixie's 'friend', Suzanne Kong. Dixie and Suzanne had been friends for a little over two years, but lately, their friendship wasn't going so well, and it only continued to get worse. And the current argument proved that their friendship wasn't working out.

" _You're_ asking _me_?! _I_ wasn't the one yelling insults at Cosmo!" another equally angry female voice, this time Dixie's, shouted back.

"He's an idiot, and you know it!" Suzanne yelled.

"Okay, he may be an idiot, but he knows what love is, _and_ he's funny!" Dixie shouted.

"Idiots are _not_ funny!" Suzanne shouted.

Just then, the door flew open, and out came Suzanne. As she stormed out of the house, she slammed the door behind her. She didn't even notice Diddy, who managed to avoid having the door hit him.

"Dang! How could they break into an argument about Cosmo?" Diddy asked himself. Anyway, he waited for a minute or so before hesitantly knocking on the door, nervous about the mood Dixie would be in.

"GO AWAY!" Dixie shouted, thinking Suzanne had come back.

Diddy was taken aback by his girlfriend's anger, but he couldn't leave her alone. Not after what had just happened.

"Dixie... it's me... Diddy..." Dixie heard Diddy's voice say from the other side of the door.

"Oh! In that case, come in!" Dixie said in relief, recognizing her boyfriend's voice.

Diddy slowly opened the door and entered the house. As soon as he entered, he was glomped by Dixie.

"You don't know how glad I am to see you right now!" Dixie told him, though she didn't look or sound too happy. Not surprising, considering that she'd been very angry when he arrived.

"What happened?" Diddy asked, not wanting her to know that he'd overheard her and Suzanne's argument.

"It's Suzanne! She's driving me insane, and in a bad way!" Dixie told him, her voice angry as she thought about the situation she was in.

"What did she do?" Diddy asked as Dixie got off of him so he could get up.

Before Dixie could tell him what Suzanne did, she remembered that this was her boyfriend she was talking to. She didn't want to vent to him!

Sensing this, Diddy said, "If you need to vent, go right ahead. Besides, getting it off your chest will help you feel better."

His words seemed to help, for Dixie took a deep breath, and then she said, "Okay. I'll tell you."

Then they sat down on the couch together.

"The afternoon started out pretty well. I was sitting here in the living room, watching a marathon of the earlier episodes of "The Fairly OddParents". And that's when Suzanne showed up. However, we haven't been as close as we were when our friendship started out, and we've been arguing more often than not. They're not even friendly arguments." Dixie began.

"And you had just been in another argument by the time I showed up?" Diddy asked.

"Yeah. She left about a minute before you came over." Dixie said with a sigh. Then she added, "What she's done lately is unforgivable! But what she did today... I came close to throwing her out the door! And I would've if she hadn't left like she did!"

"Apparently, what she did must've been awful." Diddy said.

"It was. We were sitting there, watching "The Fairly OddParents"... actually, _I_ was watching the show, and Suzanne was ruining it for me." Dixie said.

"How did she ruin it?" Diddy asked.

"Well, during the first episode we watched, I started to hear a sound that I usually didn't hear in the episode, and it wasn't the T.V. making that sound, either. Guess what? The sound was coming from Suzanne. She was grumbling under her breath just loud enough for me to hear! And she kept it up through the whole episode! I couldn't even block out her noise! When the episode was over, she stopped grumbling! But her grumbling kept me from enjoying the episode. I didn't even laugh at the funny parts." Dixie said.

"That's all?" Diddy asked.

"Oh, no! She did more than just that. When the next episode came on, she started causing trouble again. This time, whenever a character said something, I always heard a voice softly saying, 'no' to everything that was said. Sure enough, Suzanne was the one behind that. And, as you might have guessed, she was saying the word just loud enough for me to hear, and she kept it up through that episode as well! Just like the grumbling, I couldn't block that out, either! Plus, she made it so I didn't enjoy that episode, either." Dixie said.

"What's her deal?!" Diddy asked, starting to hate Suzanne more than he already did. He'd met her shortly after she and Dixie became friends, and she rubbed him the wrong way, although he didn't say anything to Dixie about that. But now it seemed like Suzanne was rubbing Dixie the wrong way.

"That's what _I'd_ like to know! I'd put up with her nonsense with great patience, which wasn't easy, but it was when the 3rd episode came on that I'd had enough! As soon as the episode began, she started yelling insults at Cosmo! Yeah, she was yelling at him very loudly, and I couldn't even hear the episode! There was no way I could block that out, and I wasn't about to turn up the volume, 'cause if I did, it might have turned up the volume of her voice as well. I put up with it for 2 minutes before I shut off the T.V. To my surprise, she wasn't all that happy about it. However, I am glad that her anger prevented her from turning the T.V. back on." Dixie said.

"Geez, she complains the whole time the show is on, and when you finally shut it off, she still complains!" Diddy realized.

"Yeah! I mean, I sit through movies and shows I haven't seen that she likes, and does she see me complain?! NO! I watch them, though I regret watching what she likes more often than not. But don't ever tell her I said that!" Dixie said.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Diddy said.

"Thanks. In fact, she's never _once_ asked to see shows and movies that _I_ like! Now that she _has_ watched something I like, I'm kinda glad she hadn't before!" Dixie said.

"Wait a second! She makes you sit through things _she_ likes, but she never watches the things _you_ like?!" Diddy asked.

"That's right." said Dixie.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Diddy groaned.

"I wish I was." Dixie replied.

"That's not what I was hoping to hear." Diddy told her.

"I wasn't happy about saying it." Dixie told him. Then she realized that talking with Diddy had helped her greatly. He was there to listen, and that was all she needed.

" _Wow, I actually feel a lot better now. Diddy was right_." Dixie thought.

"Say, if "The Fairly OddParents" is still on... would you like to watch it with me? And I promise to behave better than Suzanne did!" Diddy suddenly said.

"I know you'll behave. You like the show." Dixie said.

"So... can we watch?" Diddy asked.

"Of course!" Dixie said, turning the T.V. back on, and sure enough, the show was still on! Diddy and Dixie watched "The Fairly OddParents" for the rest of the afternoon, and Dixie was able to enjoy the show, 'cause she was watching it with someone she loved, someone who wouldn't ruin it for her.

Wow, Suzanne was a lousy friend, ruining Dixie's afternoon! But Diddy came and made everything better. And this story is a chapter story, so stay tuned, 'cause there's more on the way!


	2. Suspicions Arise

(A/N: So that first chapter was pretty bad, what with Suzanne ruining Dixie's afternoon! Let's see what happens in this chapter.)

The following afternoon, Diddy was on his way to Dixie's treehouse, hoping that Dixie would be in a happier mood today.

When he knocked on the door, he was more than surprised to see the door fly open again, only this time, he saw a frantic Dixie turning her treehouse upside-down. Apparently, Dixie was _not_ in a happy mood. This wasn't what Diddy was hoping to see, and it was one of the last things he expected to see.

"Dixie?" Diddy asked, understandably concerned. Why was Dixie doing this? Had Suzanne driven her to insanity?

"Don't just stand there, Diddy! Help me look!" Dixie cried as she ran around the house, looking behind and under furniture.

"Look for what?" Diddy asked, not knowing what was going on.

"Cosmo! My figurine of Cosmo! I can't find him! He's missing, and I can't find him anywhere!" Dixie exclaimed.

"Where did you have him last?" Diddy asked, immediately alert.

"He was in my room, in the box by my dresser, where I keep my Nicktoon figurines! He was in there earlier, and now he's not!" Dixie wailed, looking very upset.

"Are you sure?" Diddy asked.

"I'm _positive_! I even double-checked, and he still wasn't there!" Dixie cried.

"I'm gonna check, just to make sure." Diddy said. He went over to the dresser, picked up the box, carried it over to Dixie's bed, and emptied it out on the bed. Then he put the figurines back one at a time, and he found that Dixie wasn't lying. Cosmo wasn't there.

"Any luck?" Dixie asked hopefully.

"Nope. You weren't kidding." Diddy said.

"Where could he have gone?! He couldn't just get up and fly away!" Dixie said.

"Are you sure you didn't put him somewhere else?" Diddy asked.

"I swear he was in the box! I put him in the box when I got him!" Dixie said. And then she had a horrible realization.

"Oh no...!" Dixie gasped.

"What is it?" Diddy asked.

"Suzanne was here earlier, and Cosmo was still in the box before she came over. She leaves, and now he's gone missing!" Dixie said.

"You think she stole him?" Diddy asked.

"You heard that she had been shouting insults at him during the show the other day! I wouldn't be surprised if she was behind his disappearance!" Dixie said.

"That does seem likely. But we can't ask her point-blank if she did it, 'cause she'll deny it." Diddy said.

"And I'm not the type to go snooping through my friends' things. Then again, I can't really call her a friend after everything she's done to me." Dixie groaned.

"I know. The way she acted the other day when you watched "The Fairly OddParents" makes her a prime suspect." Diddy said.

"It gets worse when you realize that she doesn't even know that I collect figurines of Nickelodeon characters. I never even told her, and I don't ever want to. You're the only one outside the family who knows." Dixie said.

"The only way for her to find out about them would be if she went snooping through your stuff. But the box you keep the figurines in is just a plain old box. It doesn't hint that you're keeping Nicktoon figurines in it." Diddy said. It was true. The box didn't really look like it held anything of interest, and it sure as heck didn't have anything written on it to give away what it held.

"Oh, where could Cosmo have gone?! It took me MONTHS to find a figurine of him! I was so happy when I finally found one! And now he's missing!" Dixie wailed.

"Aww, Dixie! It'll be okay! We'll find him." Diddy said as he pulled Dixie into a comforting hug. And he held her for a few minutes before Dixie realized that they still needed to continue the search.

 **Later...**

Diddy and Dixie had thoroughly searched the treehouse, and they were unable to find Cosmo.

"Great. Just great. I looked everywhere, and he hasn't turned up!" Dixie moaned.

"Maybe if we straighten the place up, we'll find him. That might work." Diddy said.

"Okay..." Dixie said, hoping against hope that doing so would help her find Cosmo.

So they straightened the place up, but there was still no sign of Cosmo.

"This would happen to the one I searched all over creation to find! He had to have been stolen, and I just _know_ Suzanne did it!" Dixie cried, burying her face into Diddy's chest.

"I'm inclined to believe you. She went too far the other day, so if it turns out that she is the culprit, it wouldn't be that surprising." Diddy said as he held Dixie close and stroked her long, blonde ponytail comfortingly, wishing he could do more to help her, 'cause he hated seeing her upset.

Man, Dixie's Suzanne problems went from bad to worse in this chapter, and Suzanne didn't even appear in it! I hope Chapter 3 is somewhat better.


	3. A Talk With DK

(A/N: Poor Dixie hasn't been happy in the first two chapters. And it's no fun for Diddy, either. Let's see how this chapter goes.)

It was a quiet December day on Kongo Bongo Island. There was still much excitement about Christmas, but as far as the villains were concerned, Christmas was nothing to be excited about. Enough about them; let's go check up on Diddy Kong and see how he's doing.

Over at Donkey Kong's treehouse, Diddy was in his bedroom, sitting on his bed, thinking about Dixie. Because her friendship with Suzanne hadn't been going very well, she'd been upset more often than not. With things as they were, she wasn't very happy anymore, and it seemed to get rid of her Christmas spirit.

"If Suzanne wasn't a problem, Dixie wouldn't have lost her Christmas spirit. (sigh) I wish I knew how to bring it back." Diddy muttered to himself.

"Bring what back?" a voice suddenly asked from the doorway to his room.

Startled, Diddy turned towards the doorway, and he saw his uncle, Donkey Kong, DK for short, standing there.

"Oh, DK. It's you." Diddy said in relief.

"What's the matter, little buddy? You seem kinda down." DK asked as he walked over to his nephew.

"It's Dixie. She's lost her Christmas spirit." Diddy replied, feeling bad for Dixie.

"How could she lose it? She's usually joyful and happy in December." DK pointed out as he sat down next to Diddy.

"I know, but lately, she's been unhappy more often than not because of Suzanne." Diddy explained.

"Who is Suzanne?" DK asked, unfamiliar with the name.

"Dixie's 'friend', if you can call her that." Diddy said, and he proved his point by using air quotes on the word 'friend'.

"So, she's not a friend?" DK asked, knowing that Diddy's words and the use of air quotes meant that Suzanne wasn't as she seemed.

"Do friends usually try and ruin a show you enjoy watching, seeing to it that you don't enjoy it?" Diddy asked.

"Mine don't, and I don't do it to them. From what I know, friends don't exactly do that to each other." DK said. Then he realized what Diddy was hinting at, and he said, "Oh, Suzanne did that, didn't she?"

"Yup. I overheard her and Dixie arguing after that happened a few days ago, and Dixie told me about it afterwards. She was mad." Diddy said.

"Can't blame her for being mad." DK said.

"It gets worse. Dixie explained that she and Suzanne have been arguing a lot, and they're not exactly friendly arguments." Diddy said.

"And Suzanne is the one who starts the arguments?" DK guessed.

"I should think so, knowing how unhappy Dixie has been." Diddy said.

"And because of everything that's been going on with Suzanne, Dixie has lost her Christmas spirit." DK realized.

"Yeah. I just wish I could help her get it back." Diddy said.

"Well, what Dixie needs right now is a friend, and by listening to her and spending time with her, you could help bring her Christmas spirit back." DK advised.

"Sounds easy enough, but I don't think it's going to do much. Look at what happened the last time I went over there." Diddy said.

"The argument you overheard." DK said.

"Actually, I'm referring to the day after the argument. Dixie lost an object that's special to her, and she thinks Suzanne might have stolen it, even though Suzanne never even knew about this thing, so we can guess that she went snooping through Dixie's stuff." Diddy explained.

"Okay, that's _not_ what friends are supposed to do! They don't go _snooping_ through their friends' things! More importantly, they don't _steal_ from their friends! They can _borrow_ , after asking permission, but they _can't_ steal!" DK said.

"I know that, and so does Dixie! And if Suzanne is the culprit, she's the only one who doesn't know! But the object went missing, and we searched everywhere; it hasn't turned up at all. And Dixie said that it was there before Suzanne came over that day. Suzanne leaves, and it's gone." Diddy said. He didn't dare tell DK that the missing object was a figurine of a Nickelodeon character, for Dixie only told him and her family about the Nicktoon figurines.

"Aw man, that's not good." DK said. Then he asked, "Can it be replaced?"

"Probably, but I don't think it's going to help, 'cause this thing wasn't easy to find. Dixie had to search all over creation to find it, and she was sick with worry the day it went missing. Even if we could replace it, I don't think Dixie would want to, although she just might have to. Plus, losing it also contributed to her lost Christmas spirit." Diddy said.

"Well, in the meantime, just try and give Dixie the support she needs, and listen to her when she needs to talk." DK said.

"That's what I've been doing this whole time." Diddy told him.

"Okay, so keep at it. Try and cheer her up in any way you can." DK said.

"I'll do my best. I really want to see her smile again." Diddy said.

"Spoken like a true friend, or boyfriend. Dixie's got someone who cares about her happiness, and that's exactly what she needs." DK said.

So Diddy's been doing what a good friend (in this case, boyfriend) would do. If you stay tuned, we'll see if he can help bring back Dixie's Christmas spirit.


	4. Forgetting Her Troubles

(A/N: After DK and Diddy's talk in that last chapter, I'm hoping Diddy's having luck when it comes to helping his girl recover her Christmas spirit. Let's read and find out.)

It was a cold December day on Kongo Bongo Island. Christmas was still a ways from now, and everyone except for the bad guys looked forward to the rapidly approaching holiday.

At this moment, Dixie was at DK's treehouse, helping DK and Diddy decorate their Christmas tree. Diddy thought it might help get Dixie's mind off of her troubles, and he wanted her to feel better, if only for a little while.

It seemed to be helping, 'cause Dixie looked happy as she helped with the decorating. Perhaps it did take her mind off of her problems. She was also humming a Christmas song to herself as she helped. And it didn't take long for Diddy to notice that Dixie was in a better mood.

"It's nice to see her in a happy mood." Diddy said to DK, noticing that Dixie seemed a lot happier than she had been.

"The best part is, you helped put her in that mood." DK reminded him.

"I hate seeing her sad. I may not be able to find what she's looking for (though I have a pretty good idea of its whereabouts), but I can try to help take her mind off of her troubles." Diddy said.

"You're doing what any good friend would do. That one friend of hers is only stressing her out, and you're giving her stress-relief. From the look of her, I'd say you're doing a good job." DK pointed out.

"Thanks." Diddy said with a smile.

Some time later, the tree was decorated, and they wondered what to do next.

"Maybe we could watch a Christmas movie?" DK suggested.

"Could we?" Dixie asked.

"Let's see what we've got." Diddy said.

So DK, Diddy, and Dixie looked through the Christmas movies, and then DK pulled out "Home Alone".

"How about this one?" he asked, showing it to the young Kongs.

"Yeah! Let's watch it!" Diddy said.

"Put it on!" Dixie begged.

So DK put the movie on, and they settled on the couch and enjoyed some candy canes from the tree as they watched "Home Alone". Naturally, they enjoyed it, and Diddy was glad to see that Dixie was enjoying the movie. As long as she was happy, he was happy.

When the movie was over, Dixie figured it was time to go home. It was dark out, after all.

"It was nice having you here, Dixie." DK said.

"Thanks, DK. I'm really glad I came." Dixie replied as she grabbed her pink sweater.

Diddy couldn't help grinning when he heard that. He knew that Dixie had a good day, and she hadn't let her troubles ruin her fun.

"But it's you I should thank, Diddy. You were the one who suggested I come over." Dixie said, and she gave Diddy a hug.

"Aw, thanks. I was hoping you'd have fun today." Diddy said, returning the hug.

"And I did." Dixie said.

As Dixie made her way to the door, she heard Diddy say, "Dixie, wait!"

"Yes?" Dixie asked, turning back to face him.

"You wouldn't mind if I... walked you back home... would you?" Diddy asked, hoping she wouldn't mind.

"What, Diddy?" DK asked.

"I want some more time with her. And you know I missed seeing her smile; I want some more time to enjoy it." Diddy whispered.

"Oh, I see. If Dixie's okay with it, you can go." DK whispered back.

"Put your sweater on and let's go!" Dixie told him.

Grinning, Diddy went to his room, grabbed his sweater (which matched his tank-top), and he was pulling it on as he came out of his room.

"Well, let's be on our way!" Dixie said as she took Diddy's hand.

"Be careful out there, you two!" DK said.

"We'll be fine. We know how to fight, and we have our popguns, meaning that any would-be attackers will be in big trouble if they try anything." Diddy assured him.

"Okay. But still, be careful." DK told them.

"We will be!" Dixie replied, and she and Diddy left the treehouse.

The night air was a little nippy, but the stars were out, and the moon was visible in the sky.

"This is nice. It's been a while since the two of us have been out under the stars." Dixie pointed out as she looked at the starry sky.

"I know. Feels like it's been forever." Diddy said.

"I'm really glad you're out here with me. Being out here with you makes the night seem so... magical." Dixie said, smiling at the idea of being under the stars with the love of her life.

"I wanted some more time with you, we both deserved a moonlit walk, and... I really did miss your smile, and I wanted more time to enjoy it." Diddy told her.

Dixie's smile became wider, and she was blushing, too, but it was kind of hard to tell in the dark. Though it was easy to see that her emerald green eyes were sparkling like Christmas lights. Yes, in the moonlight, she was even more beautiful.

"Oh, Diddy..." Dixie said with a lovesick sigh.

"Seeing that you were having a good time made my day." Diddy said.

"I can't recall the last time I felt this happy." Dixie said.

"All I can tell you is, it feels like forever since I saw you this happy." Diddy told her.

"I wouldn't be this happy if it wasn't for you." Dixie told him.

"As long as I'm around, I'll make sure you're always happy." Diddy said.

"When was the last time I told you I loved you?" Dixie said.

"You were kinda saying it without saying the words for awhile now." Diddy said.

"In that case, you're waaaaaaaay overdue!" Dixie said, and she began to say 'I love you' multiple times until a furiously-blushing Diddy interrupted her by saying, "You don't need to say it _that_ many times."

"But I really do love you." Dixie told him.

"I know. You're an amazing girl." Diddy said, making Dixie feel even happier than she was. Diddy was the only one who could make her feel so fluttery and happy.

Before long, they reached Dixie's treehouse, and as Dixie entered the house, she said, "I should probably decorate my place for Christmas, too. Helping you and DK made me remember how much I love to deck the halls."

"Would you like me to help?" Diddy asked.

"Sure. How does tomorrow sound?" Dixie asked.

"Too far away. I'd help you right now in a minute, but it's getting late, and DK will probably worry if I stay out too long." Diddy said.

"Right. So you might wanna get home and get some sleep, 'cause the sooner we go to bed, the sooner tomorrow will get here, and you can help me decorate." Dixie said.

"You're starting to sound like DK when he can tell that I'm too excited to sleep." Diddy said with a laugh.

"But it's true." Dixie told him.

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow." Diddy said, and he and Dixie shared a good-bye kiss.

When Dixie closed the door, Diddy went back home, singing a Christmas song to himself. As he made his way home, he felt that he wasn't gonna be able to sleep, but to his surprise, he was feeling tired. When he got home, he got ready for bed, crawled under the covers, and went to sleep, dreaming about Dixie.

Awww, Diddy was successful in getting Dixie to smile, and the two got to go on a moonlit walk. Plus, he's bringing back her Christmas spirit! How sweet! Stay tuned for more!


	5. Deck The Halls With Fun

(A/N: And so we've made it to Chapter 5. Let's see how this chapter plays out for Diddy and Dixie! Here we go!)

The following morning, after breakfast, Diddy pulled on his sweater and raced to Dixie's treehouse. He'd slept well the previous night, and now he was ready to help his girlfriend deck the halls.

As soon as he reached Dixie's treehouse, he knocked on the door, and he heard Dixie say, "Come in!"

Diddy opened the door and saw that Dixie had somewhat started decorating. She hung her pink Christmas stocking.

"Couldn't wait to get started, could you?" Diddy said.

"What? All I did was hang my Christmas stocking. I need help getting the tree and the decorations for it." Dixie said.

"On it!" Diddy said, saluting Dixie.

"I knew I liked him." Dixie said to herself as she motioned for Diddy to follow her.

They found the box containing Dixie's artificial Christmas tree, and they brought it into the living room. Then they went and got the boxes that held the decorations for the tree. After some inspecting, Dixie figured out where to set up the tree, and she and Diddy had to move the furniture around a bit, but they made it work.

"Okay! Time to set up the tree!" Dixie said.

She and Diddy opened the box, set up the Christmas tree stand, and looked over the instructions so they could figure out how the tree was supposed to be set up.

There wasn't much to it. Each branch had a color on the handles, and they found where each branch with a particular color was supposed to go. That part was done in no time at all.

"Now that we have all the branches in, except for the spares, we can put the top part on." Dixie said as she looked over the instructions, but when she looked in the box, the top part of the tree was missing!

Dixie was worried, but then she looked up and saw Diddy sneaking out of the room with the top of the tree, all the branches folded upward.

"Diddy, get back in here so we can finish setting up the tree!" Dixie called, although she was laughing as she said it. Diddy was glad when he heard that, 'cause he knew that his little stunt made her laugh, and she was in a good mood. So he went back to the living room and fixed the branches a bit before putting the top part in its place.

"There we go!" Diddy said.

"It looks good, but it'll look better once we get it decorated." Dixie replied.

So they looked at the boxes of decorations, knowing that the lights went on next.

"Better test them first." Diddy said. He and DK had tested the lights for their tree before putting them on the other day.

"Yeah. Let's see how they work." Dixie said. They plugged the lights into a free outlet, and they worked just fine.

"Okay, they all work. Let's put them on!" Diddy said. So he and Dixie unplugged the lights before putting them on the tree.

"The garland comes next." Dixie said.

Diddy and Dixie found the garland, and they put it on the tree.

"Now we add the ornaments?" Diddy guessed.

"Yes." Dixie smiled. Man, Diddy loved that smile so much that he couldn't help smiling back.

Decorating the tree took a while, and they put lots of ornaments on the tree, making it look really nice.

"I should've gotten some candy canes to put on the tree." Dixie muttered as she placed one of the ornaments on a high branch.

"I'm way ahead of you, Dixie." Diddy said, producing a shopping bag from seemingly nowhere and pulling a box of candy canes out of it.

"How did you know, and when did you get these?!" Dixie asked, surprised.

"I actually swung by the store on my way here to get some candy canes, just in case you didn't have any. I think these might interest you." Diddy replied with a smile as he set the box of candy canes on the couch before pulling another box from the bag.

Dixie picked up one of the boxes of candy canes and looked at them. She quickly discovered that these weren't your normal red-and-white-striped, peppermint-flavored candy canes. Oh no, these candy canes were mostly pink with white stripes, and they were bubblegum-flavored. The other box also contained the same flavor. (A/N: No kidding! They used to have that flavor back when I was a kid, and it was delicious! Plus, don't you think Dixie would like that flavor?)

"Wow! I never knew that there were bubblegum candy canes!" Dixie said.

"You wanna try 'em?" Diddy asked.

"After we put some on the tree." Dixie said.

So they did. And just like the previous day, Dixie was in a happy mood, humming a Christmas carol to herself as she worked.

Once they finished that, Dixie said, "And now, we get to put the angel on top." She found the box containing the angel right away, and she was able to set it on the top of the tree.

"Now it looks perfect." Diddy said, admiring his and Dixie's handiwork.

"Almost." Dixie said. She plugged the lights in, set the function, and said, " _Now_ it's perfect."

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about the lights." Diddy said.

"It's okay. Now to try one of the candy canes." Dixie said, grabbing 2 of the candy canes that they didn't put on the tree. She handed one of the treats to Diddy.

"Thanks." Diddy said.

They tried their candy canes at the same time, and their eyes lit up! Those candy canes were really good!

"Wow! These are so good! You really know me well!" Dixie said to Diddy.

"I wouldn't be a good friend (or boyfriend) if I didn't know you like I do." Diddy said with a smile.

Diddy and Dixie enjoyed the candy canes as they continued to deck the halls.

Several hours later, they were done, and they flopped onto the couch, tired but happy.

"Well, we finally got the work done." Dixie said, looking at her boyfriend with a happy smile.

"I know. This place looks perfect." Diddy said, looking around the room.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Dixie asked.

"Let's watch a Christmas movie." Diddy said.

They decided to watch "Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse", and it was a perfect thing to watch.

By the time the movie was over, it was late afternoon.

"I guess I should be getting home." Diddy said.

"Aww, so soon?" Dixie asked.

"Well, it's late in the afternoon." Diddy pointed out.

"Really? Wow, this has been quite a day." Dixie said.

"I know. But we had fun. I'll see you again real soon, Dixie." Diddy said as he got ready to go.

"I love you." Dixie told him.

"I love you, too." Diddy replied.

Then they hugged and kissed, and Diddy made his way home.

Sounds like Diddy and Dixie had a really good day. That's a good sign. Stay tuned to find out more!


	6. Present Talk

(A/N: And so we've made it to Chapter 6. Let's see how this one plays out!)

It was a snowy December day on Kongo Bongo Island. Yes, it had snowed, and the place was a winter wonderland that everyone except the bad guys were amazed with.

On this fine day, Diddy thought he'd pay Dixie a visit, and he made his way to her treehouse, singing "Winter Wonderland" along the way.

When he arrived, he knocked on the door.

Inside the house, Dixie was sitting in the living room, wrapping Christmas presents while listening to "The Loud House". When she heard the knock, she stood up and walked over to the door. Then she peeked through the peephole, and when she saw Diddy, she let out a small sigh of relief and opened the door, letting him in.

"Hey, Dixie." Diddy greeted his sweetheart.

"Hi, Diddy." Dixie replied, glad to see him.

Diddy noticed wrapping paper, a pair of scissors, a tape dispenser, bows, and 'to-&-from' tags resting a ways from the Christmas tree. There were also some shopping bags on the couch, and they still had things in them.

"Wrapping Christmas presents, huh?" Diddy asked, pleased to see that Dixie's Christmas spirit had to be returning if she'd done some Christmas shopping.

"Yup. And I already wrapped your present. It's under the tree." Dixie said. Sure enough, Diddy spotted a gift for him under the Christmas tree, where a small pile of wrapped presents sat.

"Oh, boy! What did you get me?" Diddy asked.

"Sorry, but I'm not telling you." Dixie said as she started to wrap another present.

"Pleeeeaaaaasssssse?" Diddy begged.

"You have to wait until we have our gift exchange, silly!" Dixie said, laughing a little.

"Aww, I can't wait until then!" Diddy pouted playfully.

"I know. The long wait is always agonizing, but the gifts are always worth the wait." Dixie told him.

"Can't argue with that." Diddy said. And then he remembered what Dixie was up to, and he asked, "Would you like some help wrapping the presents?"

"I'd appreciate the help." Dixie replied.

So Diddy helped Dixie wrap the presents, and as they worked, they talked about Christmases past, and the presents that gave them a merry Christmas.

It was when all the presents were wrapped and under the tree that Diddy realized that there wasn't a present for Suzanne under the tree.

"I see that you didn't get a present for... You-Know-Who." Diddy pointed out.

"Yes, and with good reason. But it's not that I think she's behind Cosmo's disappearance." Dixie said as she put away the wrapping supplies.

"You found out that she is?" Diddy guessed.

"No. Why, did you?" Dixie asked.

"Nope." Diddy said.

"Oh well. Anyway, part of the reason stems from the fact that I still haven't seen her since that awful day. But like I said, that's only part of it. There's still more to it." Dixie said.

"You spent all your Christmas shopping money?" Diddy asked as he sat down on the couch.

"No." Dixie replied.

"Can't think of anything she'd like?" Diddy guessed.

"Not really, but she's difficult to shop for." Dixie said.

"How difficult?" Diddy asked, although he wasn't really sure he wanted to know. But he'd already asked the question.

"How do I put this? You could look through the stores, or make a gift, and no matter what you get her, she'd be displeased with it." Dixie said, sitting down next to Diddy.

"Are you serious?!" Diddy gasped.

"As serious as a heart attack." Dixie replied.

"What about gift cards? Those are good ideas for when you don't have ideas." Diddy said.

"I'd rather not. She can hardly find anything at the stores." Dixie sighed.

"So, where do her presents come from?" Diddy asked.

"You have to order her presents online, otherwise, she throws a fit." Dixie said.

"Talk about picky!" Diddy said.

"I know. Plus, I really don't wanna get her a present, and even if I did, I'm _not_ getting her a plushie of one of her favorite characters. Not after I found out what she does with them." Dixie said.

"Sounds pretty bad." Diddy said.

"It is bad. What she does makes me feel bad about getting them for her." Dixie said, and she looked disgusted and unhappy.

"Are you saying she gives them to someone else? Or just tears them apart?" Diddy asked.

"Worse." Dixie said, and she whispered it to Diddy. Whatever she told him must've been pretty bad, 'cause it made him go bright red. (A/N: I think Diddy's reaction speaks for itself.)

"Okay, that's just wrong." Diddy replied, absolutely disgusted.

"I know. That's _not_ why I gave them to her." Dixie said.

"She needs to learn that that's not what plushies are for. You've got plushies; what do _you_ do with them?" Diddy asked.

"I cuddle with them when I need comfort, and having them close keeps me company at night. Basically, I use them for comfort and companionship." Dixie said.

"I also use my plushies for comfort and companionship." Diddy replied.

"But Suzanne doesn't get it." Dixie said.

"She's an airhead. That's why she doesn't get it." Diddy told her.

"(giggle) I knew you'd understand." Dixie said as she snuggled against him.

"I'm not Suzanne." Diddy said, slipping his arms around her.

"And you're nothing like her, which is a very good thing." Dixie said, relaxing in her boyfriend's embrace.

"If I was her, I'd realize that if I were lucky enough to have someone like you as my friend, I'd treat you the way a friend is supposed to be treated." Diddy said, being the understanding boyfriend Dixie could count on.

Dixie kissed him for that, and said, "I love you. You know that, don't you?"

"I always have." Diddy replied, feeling like the luckiest monkey alive.

The two snuggled together on the couch and watched "The Loud House" until the sun went down.

And so ends Chapter 6. Even though Suzanne was mentioned, Diddy and Dixie still had a good time together. Plus, Dixie's Christmas spirit is returning, thanks to Diddy's love and support. Stay tuned for Chapter 7!


	7. Gift Exchange

(A/N: Chapter 7 is here at last. I wonder what's going to happen. Let's read it and find out!)

It was finally Christmas Eve on Kongo Bongo Island. The bad guys were bemoaning the fact that Santa Claus wasn't going to visit them (he didn't even leave them coal!), and the good guys were all happier than anything! Santa was coming tonight, and he'd be leaving them the presents they'd asked for!

At this moment, Diddy Kong was on his way to Dixie's treehouse, where the gift exchange took place. He was in a cheerful mood as he walked to Dixie's, carrying her present.

When he got to Dixie's, he was eager to get in there and spend some time with his girlfriend. However, he knew better than to just go barging in, so he knocked on the door.

Dixie was sitting at her vanity table in her bedroom, brushing her long, blonde ponytail. When she heard the knock, she quickly set down her pink hairbrush, got up, ran to the living room, and opened the door to see Diddy!

"Diddy! Merry Christmas!" Dixie happily greeted her boyfriend.

Diddy was planning to say 'Merry Christmas!' when Dixie opened the door, but when he saw her, all he could do was look at her with his mouth agape. Dixie was dressed in pink velour with a silver jingle-bell necklace, and a pink Santa hat in place of her pink beret. (A/N: The hat was like a normal Santa hat, but the part that's usually red was pink. I recently saw a hat like that in a store.) Dixie looked so pretty that Diddy could hardly speak. He looked at her as though he was in a trance.

"Diddy? You okay?" Dixie said, noticing her boyfriend's expression.

No answer.

"Diddy?" Dixie tried again.

Still no answer.

"Fine. You leave me no choice." Dixie said. She pulled a bullhorn out of seemingly nowhere and yelled into it, "EARTH TO DIDDY!"

This more or less brought Diddy back to reality.

"Oh, sorry. What's up?" Diddy asked.

"Are you okay? You were staring at me like you'd never seen me before." Dixie said.

"I couldn't help it. You look so pretty today!" Diddy said.

"Aww, Diddy. You're so sweet. In fact, you look really nice yourself." Dixie said as she walked into the kitchen.

Diddy was wearing a Santa hat in place of his usual red Nintendo cap, and he was wearing his sweater over his tank-top.

"Thanks. But really, you do look pretty. You're _always_ pretty." Diddy replied as he watched Dixie exit the kitchen with a plate full of Christmas cookies. He quickly made his way over to her and took the plate, setting it on the table in the living room.

"Thank you. It's nice to know that you think that, especially since _someone_ would agree to disagree." Dixie said as she went back into the kitchen.

"Wait, don't tell me; let me guess. Suzanne?" Diddy asked, following her.

"Oh yeah." Dixie said.

"I'm not surprised." Diddy said.

"You will be when you hear what she made me do at her birthday party a couple months ago." Dixie told him as she started fixing some mugs of hot chocolate.

"What does that have to do with your looks?" Diddy asked.

"I'm getting to it." Dixie told him, heating up the beverages.

"Okay. Let's hear it." Diddy said.

Dixie took a deep breath, and she told him, "She made me wear one of her own uncomfortable outfits to the party, instead of my own comfy clothes. I felt uncomfortable and unhappy, and I wanted to go home, but nooooo! I had to go to the party, dressed in uncomfortable clothes, and feeling like a... I'd rather not say the word. Sure, she liked the present I got her, but that didn't mean I enjoyed the party. Not when she as good as said that the way I dress is embarrassing."

"Oh, come on! There's nothing wrong with the way you dress. Your taste in clothes is better than hers." Diddy said as he and Dixie started adding marshmallows to their mugs of hot chocolate.

"You really think so?" Dixie asked as she and Diddy carried their drinks to the living room and sat down on the couch. Dixie set her mug on the living room table, next to the plate full of cookies.

"I don't think; I know." Diddy told her, before taking a sip of hot chocolate.

"Oh, Diddy..." Dixie said with a loving sigh, glad to have him around. Then she remembered the reason why he was here, and she quickly got back up and walked over to the tree. She grabbed Diddy's Christmas present, walked back to the couch, and sat back down.

"So... would you like to open your present now?" Dixie asked, handing him his present.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot that we were having a gift exchange!" Diddy said, and he set the mug down and opened his present. Diddy was happy with the gift Dixie gave him: a DVD containing the Christmas specials of their favorite Nicktoons.

"Alright! Thanks, Dixie! Watching this will help me stay up as I wait for Santa! But now I feel bad about the present I gave you." Diddy said.

But Dixie was pleased with the gift Diddy had given her: a pair of tiny, silver jingle-bell earrings.

"Oh, Diddy! Thank you! They're perfectly beautiful! They'll go great with my jingle-bell necklace! I'm gonna put these on right now!" Dixie excitedly said, and she put them on in place of her usual blue pearl earrings.

"What I really wanted was to find your Cosmo figurine, or at least a new one. I'm glad you like the earrings, but I still wish I could've done better." Diddy replied.

"'Could've done better'? Diddy, if anyone should've done better, it's me." Dixie said.

"What are you saying?! I loved what you got me!" Diddy said.

"Yes, but you deserve something better than a DVD, 'cause all through the month, you've been a true friend, and an amazing boyfriend. You were there for me when I needed a friend, and I wish I could've gotten you something better." Dixie said.

"Aww, Dixie. Having you in my life is good enough for me." Diddy said, holding the girl he loved very close to him.

"And that's why I should've done better. You make my life worth living, and you've given me a merry Christmas." Dixie said, arms wrapped around Diddy, feeling like the luckiest girl alive. Having him around helped her forget about her Cosmo and Suzanne troubles, and she was grateful for that.

They spent the next few hours together, enjoying hot chocolate and Christmas cookies, and they rocked out to a Christmas CD when they finished snuggling. It was a merry Christmas for them.

How sweet! Friendship and love are the best gifts you can give a person. Not only that, Diddy helped Dixie recover her Christmas spirit! But there's still one more chapter left, and that's the epilogue. Stay tuned!


	8. Ending The Heartache

(A/N: Here it is! The epilogue! I'll start it now so you won't be kept in suspense for long!)

It was New Year's Eve on Kongo Bongo Island. Christmas came and went, and it was merry for everyone but the bad guys. Right now, everyone knew that midnight tonight would be the start of a new year, and they were figuring out their New Year's resolutions. However, I feel like checking up on Diddy and Dixie Kong. Let's go see 'em!

Diddy and Dixie were at the latter's treehouse, watching cartoons as they talked and snuggled on the living room couch.

"So, like your family, I'm the only one who knows where the new Cosmo is, huh?" Diddy said.

"You're the only one outside the family that I can trust with that information, Diddy." Dixie said. Yup, she went shopping a few days ago and found a new figurine of Cosmo. This one she kept in the top drawer of her dresser, since no one would think to look for a toy in there. She also moved her box of Nicktoons figurines into her closet.

"Not only have I been unable to find the old one, I haven't seen Suzanne since the day it happened." Dixie added, still upset that the original Cosmo was still lost. She obviously hadn't replaced him emotionally.

"Oh well. Got any resolutions for the new year?" Diddy asked.

"Only one, and it's to get out of what's left of my so-called 'friendship' with Suzanne." Dixie said.

"You know, I wouldn't be too surprised if she got coal for Christmas." Diddy said.

"I _hope_ that's what she got for Christmas." Dixie said.

"Be careful what you wish for, Dixie. You just might get it." Diddy told her.

"Well, don't you think she deserves coal?" Dixie asked.

"Of course. Why do you think I said I wouldn't be surprised?" Diddy smiled.

And then they heard a knock at the door. Dixie reluctantly got up and peeked through the peephole. What she saw didn't please her.

"Oh no..." Dixie groaned.

"Suzanne?" Diddy guessed.

"Who else?" Dixie replied.

"Maybe you can get your resolution out of the way, unless her resolution is to be a better friend." Diddy said. He was on Dixie's side on the whole thing with Suzanne, but he hated when friendships went awry.

"I doubt the latter. She never tries to be a better friend, and I end up getting the short end of the stick every time I do something with her." Dixie said.

Suzanne knocked on the door again.

"I guess we should let her in." Diddy sighed.

"Yeah. Better turn off the T.V." Dixie said as she went over and turned off the T.V.

"It's okay. I'm here for you." Diddy said, getting up off the couch and taking her hand in his own. Dixie felt a little better, but she was still reluctant about opening the door. But she knew that she had to, so she did.

"Suzanne. How nice." Dixie said in a fake-polite voice as she opened the door to let Suzanne in.

"How was your Christmas?" Suzanne asked as she came into the house.

"Fine. And yours?" Dixie asked.

"I got coal." Suzanne muttered. (A/N: I stand corrected; the bad guys weren't the only ones that had a not-so-merry Christmas.)

"Coal, huh?" Dixie asked. She and Diddy looked at each other, not the least bit surprised. They still had their suspicions, and the fact that Suzanne received coal convinced them more and more that she was a thief.

"I told you that you just might get your wish." Diddy whispered.

"But we shouldn't be that surprised. Santa knows if we've been bad or good, and she's been bad. Not as bad as K. Rool and his cronies, but still pretty bad." Dixie whispered back.

"And I have something for you." Suzanne said, handing Dixie a small, wrapped box.

"Huh. I wonder what it is?" Diddy said as Dixie accepted the box.

"Part of me is saying 'open it', but another part of me is saying 'don't do it'." Dixie whispered to him.

"You might as well open it." Diddy said, and he let go of Dixie's hand so she could open the present.

Dixie slowly undid the ribbon and carefully unwrapped the present, which turned out to be a small box. Dixie figured that whatever was in the box was a pin or jewelry of some sort. She slowly lifted the lid... and what she saw made her blood run cold! Diddy looked, and he was just as shocked as Dixie was!

The box contained a figurine of Cosmo. And it was Dixie's first figurine, the one that disappeared earlier that month. Dixie set the box on the couch, took Cosmo out, and inspected him all over. She found, to her great relief, that he was still in one piece, unharmed, and unchanged. But still, Diddy and Dixie's suspicions were true!

"It _was_ her!" Diddy and Dixie whispered to each other, but it really came as no surprise that they were right, since they'd suspected it all that time.

However, Dixie was starting to get angry now that she knew what happened to Cosmo (and why Suzanne had stayed away), and she couldn't keep quiet.

"I... knew... it..." Dixie slowly said in a quiet, menacing voice.

"What?" Suzanne asked.

Diddy knew that Dixie was really mad. Not wanting Dixie to do anything rash, he quickly reached for her free hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. While Diddy was able to keep Dixie from hurting Suzanne, it didn't stop her from yelling.

"How _could_ you?! You _stole_ Cosmo right out from under my nose! You left me worried sick about what happened to him! And the worst part is, you were _snooping_ through my stuff! That's the _only_ way you could've found him! I can't believe we _ever_ became friends in the first place!" Dixie screamed.

"Hey, don't get mad at me!" Suzanne started.

"I have every right to be mad at you, after what you did! It took me _MONTHS_ to find a figurine of Cosmo, and I was afraid that I'd probably misplaced him, even though I remembered putting him back where he belonged!" Dixie shouted.

"I was trying to get used to the character! And I did!" Suzanne yelled.

As much as Diddy felt like yelling at Suzanne, he held his tongue. This argument was between her and Dixie only, and he was starting to feel too nervous to say anything.

"By _stealing_ him! If you wanted to get used to him, you could've _explained_ it to me!" Dixie said.

"As if! You would've said no!" Suzanne yelled.

"With good reason! You insulted him non-stop for _two minutes_ the day before he disappeared!" Dixie shouted.

Diddy couldn't help flinching as he listened to Dixie and Suzanne yell at each other, but he didn't let go of Dixie's hand. He didn't want to leave Dixie, for she might do something she'd later regret, but he felt very uncomfortable being here while they argued. It was like a natural disaster was going on, and he was caught smack-dab in the thick of it!

The yelling went on for another minute, and then it ended when both of them screamed, "I GUESS I'M NOT YOUR FRIEND ANYMORE!"

And Suzanne left the house in a huff.

As for Dixie, she was panting really hard after that whole thing, unable to believe what had just happened.

"Since you took care of your resolution before the new year, I'm going to tell you that I'm glad you're not friends anymore, 'cause the first time I met her, she rubbed me the wrong way." Diddy said when he managed to find his voice.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Dixie asked.

"She was your friend, and I was afraid that if you found out that she and I didn't like each other... well..." Diddy trailed off there, not wanting to go any further.

"I wouldn't get mad, or dump you. I love you too much to get mad at you, or leave you. As my boyfriend, you're very special to me." Dixie assured him, giving him a kiss to assure him that he was special to her.

"Thanks, Dixie." Diddy said, feeling relief, now that he'd gotten that off of his chest, but he was even more relieved that Dixie wouldn't have hated him if he'd told her sooner.

"You know, I'm not surprised that her staying away was linked to Cosmo's disappearance. But the last thing I ever expected her to do was snoop through my room! If there's one thing I can't tolerate, it's a traitorous thief! She is what I thought she was!" Dixie said.

"But you didn't let her off the hook. It's okay, Dixie. You and her are out of each other's lives." Diddy assured her, letting go of her hand and wrapping his arms about her in a comforting hug.

"I'm so sorry you had to hear us argue like that. But I'm glad you were here, 'cause I don't know what I would've done if you weren't here." Dixie said as she set her Cosmo figurine back in the box on the couch.

"Go crazy?" Diddy guessed.

"I think I did that when I became friends with her." Dixie said.

"You're not crazy. You didn't know. Anyway, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you probably would've used your Gumball Popgun on her." Diddy said, now rubbing her back comfortingly.

"Ah, she's not worth my ammo, but I probably would've done something I'll regret till the day I die." Dixie said.

"So, what are you going to do about the new Cosmo figurine?" Diddy asked as he stopped the embrace.

"Oh yeah. Come with me." Dixie said, picking up the box and walking to her room. Diddy followed her, wondering what his girlfriend had in mind.

Once they got to Dixie's room, Dixie put the original figurine back in the box where her Nicktoons figurines were before taking the new Cosmo figurine out of her dresser and placing him in the box her original Cosmo figurine had been in. She handed the new Cosmo figurine to Diddy.

"He's yours." Dixie said as Diddy accepted the new figurine of Cosmo.

"You're giving him to me?" Diddy asked.

"You deserve him, for being the best boyfriend a girl could ever ask for." Dixie said.

"Thanks!" Diddy said, blushing a little from Dixie's words.

And Suzanne never bothered Dixie again.

The End

See how much it helps others when you show them that you care? If only friends were as good as Diddy, the exact opposite of Suzanne. Hope you enjoyed this story, and I hope you have a merry Christmas!


End file.
